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[[File:SSB4 Kirby Says Hi.oga|thumb|right|Kirby's iconic elongated "Hi!" from ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U]]'']]
[[File:SSB4 Kirby Says Hi.oga|thumb|right|Kirby's iconic elongated "Hi!" from ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U]]'']]
Throughout the ''[[Kirby (series)|Kirby]]'' series, '''Kirby's voice''' has undergone many changes and adjustments. In the early games in the series, [[Kirby]] was not properly voiced, only vocalizing using chirping noises when [[damage|getting hit]] or using the [[Mike]] ability. Early non-[[canon]] materials occasionally gave him full voice acting. Kirby was first voiced in-game by [[Makiko Ohmoto]] in ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' on the [[Nintendo 64]], and has been voiced by her ever since. Despite his vocalizations, Kirby is classified as a [[wikipedia:Silent protagonist|silent protagonist]], since he does not speak in audible full sentences or in text boxes to any other characters (barring ''[[Kirby's Avalanche]]'').
Throughout the ''[[Kirby (series)|Kirby]]'' series, '''Kirby's voice''' has undergone many changes and adjustments. In the early games in the series, [[Kirby]] was not properly voiced, only vocalizing using chirping noises when [[damage|getting hit]] or using the [[Mike]] ability. Early spin-off media occasionally gave him full voice acting. Kirby was first voiced in-game by [[Makiko Ohmoto]] in ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' on the [[Nintendo 64]], and has been voiced by her ever since. Despite his vocalizations, Kirby is classified as a [[wikipedia:Silent protagonist|silent protagonist]], since he does not speak in audible full sentences or in text boxes to any other characters (barring ''[[Kirby's Avalanche]]'').


==Characteristics==
==Characteristics==
As portrayed by Ohmoto, Kirby's voice is high-pitched with inflections similar to that of a toddler first learning to speak. This reflects his often infantile nature, and supports the idea that Kirby may be a juvenile of [[Kirby (species)|his species]] (an idea which is implemented in [[Kirby: Right Back at Ya!|the anime]]). As such, Kirby does not use very many words in his vocalizations, though it is implied that — much like [[mariowiki:Mario|Mario]] and [[zeldawiki:Link|Link]] — Kirby is indeed capable of complex speech, though the player is not privy to what Kirby says to other characters. All the player hears instead are Kirby's grunts, cheers, and inflections, peppered only with occasional words such as his signature elongated "Hi!" In the anime, Kirby is known for spouting the babble-word "poyo" repeatedly in place of speech which, unlike the games, is what other characters hear instead of actual speech. He also occasionally repeats words that he hears other characters say, which is more apparent in the Japanese version. When Kirby gains a [[Copy Ability]], he will also gain the ability to shout whichever words may be associated with the move he has copied, which is evident in both the anime and in the [[Super Smash Bros. (series)|''Super Smash Bros.'' series]] when he copies his opponents. The most notorious example of this is when Kirby copies [[fzerowiki:Captain Falcon|Captain Falcon]], allowing Kirby to shout "Falcon Punch!" when using the move.
As portrayed by Ohmoto, Kirby's voice is high-pitched with inflections similar to that of a toddler first learning to speak. This reflects his youth and his often infantile nature, an idea that is exemplified in [[Kirby: Right Back at Ya!|the anime]]. As such, Kirby does not use very many words in his vocalizations, though it is implied that — much like [[mariowiki:Mario|Mario]] and [[zeldawiki:Link|Link]] — Kirby is indeed capable of complex speech, though the player is not privy to what Kirby says to other characters. All the player hears instead are Kirby's grunts, cheers, and inflections, peppered only with occasional words such as his signature elongated "Hi!" In the anime, Kirby is known for spouting the babble-word "poyo" repeatedly in place of speech which, unlike the games, is what other characters hear instead of actual speech. He also occasionally repeats words that he hears other characters say, which is more apparent in the Japanese version. When Kirby gains a [[Copy Ability]], he will also gain the ability to shout whichever words may be associated with the move he has copied, which is evident in both the anime and in the [[Super Smash Bros. (series)|''Super Smash Bros.'' series]] when he copies his opponents.


===Early history===
===Early history===
Prior to the series giving Kirby a consistent voice actress, Kirby was voiced in various non-[[canon]] materials by a variety of voice artists. The earliest examples in any media are in VHS tapes distributed to stores in Japan for advertising specific games in-store, in particular 1993 promotional videos for ''[[Kirby's Adventure]]'' (for which Kirby appears throughout the tape and is fully voiced whenever on screen) and ''[[Kirby's Pinball Land]]'' (for which Kirby voices the entire tape and makes a voiced appearance at the end of the included TV commercial).<ref>Niconico uploads exist of the tapes for [https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm14280563 ''Kirby's Adventure''] and [https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm17659498 ''Kirby's Pinball Land'']. Kirby's voice actor in both tapes is uncredited, and does not resemble any later credited voice work for Kirby.</ref>
Prior to the series giving Kirby a consistent voice actress, Kirby was voiced in various spin-off media by a variety of voice artists. The earliest examples in any media are in VHS tapes distributed to stores in Japan for advertising specific games in-store, in particular 1993 promotional videos for ''[[Kirby's Adventure]]'' (for which Kirby appears throughout the tape and is fully voiced whenever on screen) and ''[[Kirby's Pinball Land]]'' (for which Kirby voices the entire tape and makes a voiced appearance at the end of the included TV commercial).<ref>Niconico uploads exist of the tapes for [https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm14280563 ''Kirby's Adventure''] and [https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm17659498 ''Kirby's Pinball Land'']. Kirby's voice actor in both tapes is uncredited, and does not resemble any later credited voice work for Kirby.</ref>


The earliest example of Kirby being given a proper voice in a work for public sale is a 1994 mini-CD/manga set released by Shogakukan (based on Yoshiko Sakuma's 1992–2009 manga series), with his voice provided by [[wikipedia:Taeko Kawata|Taeko Kawata]].<ref>{{cite book|quote='''アニメより先にCDデビューしていた''' / １９９４年に発売された「星のカービィおしゃべCDコミック」は、漫画に８センチCDがついたもので、漫画に関するカービィのおしゃべりなとを聞くことができた。 ('''''Before the anime came the CD debut''' / In the 1994 ''Kirby of the Stars Talking CD Comic'', a 8 cm CD was included with the manga, so that you could listen to Kirby chattering about the manga.'')|book=[https://archive.org/details/kirby-pupupu-daizen-20th-anniversary-encyclopedia-art-book/page/210/mode/2up 20th Anniversary Kirby Pupupu Encyclopedia]|publisher=Shogakukan|page=[https://ia902503.us.archive.org/view_archive.php?archive=/4/items/kirby-pupupu-daizen-20th-anniversary-encyclopedia-art-book/Kirby%20Pupupu%20Daizen%2020th%20Anniversary%20Encyclopedia%20Art%20Book_jp2.zip&file=Kirby%20Pupupu%20Daizen%2020th%20Anniversary%20Encyclopedia%20Art%20Book_jp2%2FKirby%20Pupupu%20Daizen%2020th%20Anniversary%20Encyclopedia%20Art%20Book_0210.jp2 211]}}</ref><ref>{{twitterlink|camelletgo|1641433301352345601|featuring a scan of the CD/manga credits|wbsnap=y}} showing Taeko Kawata's birth name (Taeko Yamada)</ref> Another early work where Kirby is given a voice is the ''[[Mario Kirby Masterpiece Video]]'', an educational VHS from 1995 also released by Shogakukan, where he is voiced by [[wikipedia:Mayumi Tanaka|Mayumi Tanaka]]. From the beginning, Kirby's Japanese voice was consistently portrayed as childlike with immature speech patterns. Makiko Ohmoto's performance as Kirby starting in ''Super Smash Bros.'' follows the model of these examples, though with a more limited capacity for speech. Outside of Japan, however, Kirby was rarely given voice acting in this early period. At most, international promotional material opted for simple grunts and vocalizations, such as in the American commercials for ''[[Kirby's Pinball Land]]'' and ''[[Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble]]'', before adopting Ohmoto's voice worldwide.
The earliest example of Kirby being given a proper voice in a work for public sale is a 1994 mini-CD/manga set released by Shogakukan (based on Yoshiko Sakuma's 1992–2009 manga series), with his voice provided by [[wikipedia:Taeko Kawata|Taeko Kawata]].<ref>{{cite book|quote='''アニメより先にCDデビューしていた''' / １９９４年に発売された「星のカービィおしゃべCDコミック」は、漫画に８センチCDがついたもので、漫画に関するカービィのおしゃべりなとを聞くことができた。 ('''''Before the anime came the CD debut''' / In the 1994 ''Kirby of the Stars Talking CD Comic'', a 8 cm CD was included with the manga, so that you could listen to Kirby chattering about the manga.'')|book=[https://archive.org/details/kirby-pupupu-daizen-20th-anniversary-encyclopedia-art-book/page/210/mode/2up 20th Anniversary Kirby Pupupu Encyclopedia]|publisher=Shogakukan|page=[https://ia902503.us.archive.org/view_archive.php?archive=/4/items/kirby-pupupu-daizen-20th-anniversary-encyclopedia-art-book/Kirby%20Pupupu%20Daizen%2020th%20Anniversary%20Encyclopedia%20Art%20Book_jp2.zip&file=Kirby%20Pupupu%20Daizen%2020th%20Anniversary%20Encyclopedia%20Art%20Book_jp2%2FKirby%20Pupupu%20Daizen%2020th%20Anniversary%20Encyclopedia%20Art%20Book_0210.jp2 211]}}</ref><ref>{{twitterlink|camelletgo|1641433301352345601|featuring a scan of the CD/manga credits|wbsnap=y}} showing Taeko Kawata's birth name (Taeko Yamada)</ref> Another early work where Kirby is given a voice is the ''[[Mario Kirby Masterpiece Video]]'', an educational VHS from 1995 also released by Shogakukan, where he is voiced by [[wikipedia:Mayumi Tanaka|Mayumi Tanaka]]. From the beginning, Kirby's Japanese voice was consistently portrayed as childlike with immature speech patterns. Makiko Ohmoto's performance as Kirby starting in ''Super Smash Bros.'' follows the model of these examples, though with a more limited capacity for speech. Outside of Japan, however, Kirby was rarely given voice acting in this early period. At most, international promotional material opted for simple grunts and vocalizations, such as in the American commercials for ''[[Kirby's Pinball Land]]'' and ''[[Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble]]'', before adopting Ohmoto's voice worldwide.


==History of Kirby's voice==
==History of Kirby's voice==
Though iconic to his character, Kirby did not initially have a voice, nor was he properly voiced in every game after its introduction. The following table illustrates notable games (and other media) which Kirby was voiced in, including notes where appropriate discussing how his voice was changed or updated.
Though iconic to his character, Kirby did not initially have a voice, nor was he properly voiced in every game after its introduction. The following table illustrates notable games (and other media) which Kirby was voiced in, including notes when appropriate discussing how his voice was changed or updated.
{|class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" border="1" cellpadding="2"
{|class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" border="1" cellpadding="2"
!colspan=4|Notable examples of Kirby's voice &nbsp;
!colspan=4|Notable examples of Kirby's voice &nbsp;
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| 1996
| 1996
| [[File:Kirby Super Star Screech Sample.oga|thumb]]
| [[File:Kirby Super Star Screech Sample.oga|thumb]]
| Kirby is given a "voice" of sorts in this title, as every time he is hit, he makes a chirping sound. Additionally, the [[Mike]] ability uses — in addition to the iconic screech — a couple other vocal oddities, the last of which was done by ''Kirby'' series creator [[Masahiro Sakurai]] himself. A chirping sound would also be used for Kirby when he is hit in ''[[Kirby's Dream Land 3]]''.
| Kirby is given a "voice" of sorts in this title, as every time he is hit, he makes a chirping sound. Additionally, the [[Mike]] ability uses — in addition to the iconic screech — a couple other vocal oddities, the last of which was done by ''Kirby'' series creator [[Masahiro Sakurai]] himself. A chirping sound would also be used for Kirby when he is hit in ''[[Kirby's Dream Land 3]]'', ''[[Kirby: Canvas Curse]]'' and ''[[Kirby Super Star Ultra]]''.
|-
|-
| ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]''
| ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]''
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|-
|-
| ''[[Kirby: Right Back at Ya!]]''
| ''[[Kirby: Right Back at Ya!]]''
| 2001 - 2003
| 2001–2003
| [[File:Kirby voice sample - KRBaY.mp3|thumb]]
| [[File:Kirby voice sample - KRBaY.mp3|thumb]]
| The anime series has Kirby speaking only in babble consisting mainly of the word "poyo". It follows a similar inflection to ''Melee'' Kirby, but is often exaggerated further.
| The anime series has Kirby speaking only in babble consisting mainly of the word "poyo". It follows a similar inflection to ''Melee'' Kirby, but is often exaggerated further.
|-
| ''[[Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land]]''
| 2002
| [[File:KNiDL Mike 1.wav|thumb]]
| Though uncredited, Makiko Ohmoto voiced Kirby in this title, providing three Mike shouts (sound test numbers 60–62) and two damage sounds (sound test numbers 11 and 12). The damage cries are also reused in ''[[Kirby & The Amazing Mirror]]'' (sound test numbers 7 and 8; Mike is not present). In an interview with ''Nintendo DREAM'' magazine, [[Masahiro Sakurai]] stated that he limited the amount of voice clips Kirby had in ''Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land'' because he felt that having a pixelated Kirby speaking clearly would be "unnatural", and because he felt that having Kirby speak too much would "typecast Kirby as a certain type of character"<ref name="shmup">{{cite|Did you know, there's actual real voice acting in Nightmare? We even went down to see Makiko Ohmoto to record her. [...] The clips we actually used in the game are few and far between, though. Kirby speaks when he takes damage, but otherwise the voicework is all kept to the subliminal level. As you can imagine, when pixelated sprite characters like Kirby start speaking clearly it feels really unnatural. That's not the only reason either. I also think that by having a voice, it will end up typecasting Kirby as a certain type of character. So for those reasons we only used his voice in five places... three for the Mike copy ability, and two instances for when he takes damage.|[[Masahiro Sakurai]]|[https://shmuplations.com/kirbynightmare/ ''Nintendo DREAM'' interview, translated by shmuplations.com]}}</ref>
|-
|-
| ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''
| ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''
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| 2022
| 2022
| [[File:Kirby voice sample - KatFL.mp3|thumb]]
| [[File:Kirby voice sample - KatFL.mp3|thumb]]
| Kirby's voice was completely redone for ''[[Kirby and the Forgotten Land]]''; no previous clips were reused. Reflecting the 8 years that have passed since ''Kirby: Triple Deluxe'', Kirby's voice has become slightly deeper, and more voice clips feature a "guttural" quality that was not present before. This style of voice continues to be featured in recent titles, such as ''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe]]''.
| Kirby's voice was completely redone for ''[[Kirby and the Forgotten Land]]''; no previous clips were reused. Reflecting the 8 years that have passed since ''Kirby: Triple Deluxe'', Kirby's voice has become slightly deeper, and more voice clips feature a "guttural" quality that was not present before. This style of voice continues to be featured in recent titles, such as ''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe]]'', which likewise features entirely new voice clips.<ref>[https://gigi9714.wordpress.com/2023/04/07/translation-of-the-kirbys-return-to-dream-land-deluxe-interview-from-the-may-2023-edition-of-nintendo-dream/ Translation of the Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe interview from the May 2023 edition of Nintendo Dream]</ref>
|}
|}


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*''[[Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble]]''
*''[[Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble]]''
*''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''
*''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''
*''[[Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land]]'' (uncredited)<ref name="shmup">{{cite|Did you know, there's actual real voice acting in Nightmare? We even went down to see Makiko Ohmoto to record her. [...] The clips we actually used in the game are few and far between, though. Kirby speaks when he takes damage, but otherwise the voicework is all kept to the subliminal level. As you can imagine, when pixelated sprite characters like Kirby start speaking clearly it feels really unnatural. That's not the only reason either. I also think that by having a voice, it will end up typecasting Kirby as a certain type of character. So for those reasons we only used his voice in five places... three for the Mike copy ability, and two instances for when he takes damage.|[[Masahiro Sakurai]]|[https://shmuplations.com/kirbynightmare/ ''Nintendo DREAM'' interview, translated by shmuplations.com]}}</ref>
*''[[Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land]]'' (uncredited)<ref name="shmup"/>
*''[[Kirby & The Amazing Mirror]]'' (uncredited)
*''[[Kirby & The Amazing Mirror]]'' (uncredited)
*''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''
*''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''
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*''[[Kirby Mass Attack]]''
*''[[Kirby Mass Attack]]''
*''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land]]''
*''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land]]''
*''[[Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition]]''  ([[Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards]],[[New Challenge Stages]], and a few other places)
*''[[Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition]]''  (''[[Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards]]'', [[New Challenge Stages]], and a few other places)
*''[[Kirby: Triple Deluxe]]''
*''[[Kirby: Triple Deluxe]]''
*''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U]]''
*''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U]]''
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==Gallery==
==Gallery==
<gallery>
<gallery>
KSS Mike 2.mp3|The second Mike voice from ''Kirby Super Star'', which sounds similar to Kirby's current voice.
KSS Mike 2.mp3|The second Mike voice from ''Kirby Super Star'', voiced by an intern at HAL Laboratory.
KSS Mike 3.mp3|The third Mike voice from ''Kirby Super Star''; this is Masahiro Sakurai saying "Chesto!", a Japanese battle cry.
KSS Mike 3.mp3|The third Mike voice from ''Kirby Super Star''; this is Masahiro Sakurai saying "Chesto!", a Japanese battle cry.
KNiDL Mike 2.wav|Kirby's second Mike scream from ''Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land''.
KNiDL Mike 3.wav|Kirby's third Mike scream from ''Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land''.
Kirby voice sample - SSBB unused.mp3|An unused Kirby voice clip from ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl''.
Kirby voice sample - SSBB unused.mp3|An unused Kirby voice clip from ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl''.
KTD Kirby burned voice.mp3|Kirby's voice when he gets burned in ''Kirby: Triple Deluxe''.
KTD Kirby burned voice.mp3|Kirby's voice when he gets burned in ''Kirby: Triple Deluxe''.
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==Trivia==
==Trivia==
*In ''[[Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land]]'' and ''[[Kirby & The Amazing Mirror]]'', Kirby is voiced by Makiko Ohmoto in an uncredited role. Only five unique voice clips are used: two for getting hit, and three for using [[Mike]]. In an interview with ''Nintendo DREAM'' magazine, [[Masahiro Sakurai]] stated that he limited the amount of voice clips Kirby had in ''Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land'' because he felt that having a pixelated Kirby speaking clearly would be "unnatural", and because he felt that having Kirby speak too much would "typecast Kirby as a certain type of character".<ref name="shmup"/>
**These sound effects are numbered 11–12 and 60–62 in the Sound Test for ''Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land''. The Mike ability is absent from ''Kirby & The Amazing Mirror'', but the Sound Player does feature the hit sound effects as numbers 7 and 8.
*''[[Kirby's Epic Yarn]]'', ''[[Kirby Mass Attack]]'' and ''[[Kirby and the Rainbow Curse]]'' are the only games in the ''Kirby'' series where Kirby can be heard unambiguously shouting "poyo".
*''[[Kirby's Epic Yarn]]'', ''[[Kirby Mass Attack]]'' and ''[[Kirby and the Rainbow Curse]]'' are the only games in the ''Kirby'' series where Kirby can be heard unambiguously shouting "poyo".
*Because of Kirby's ability to copy his opponents in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' games, Kirby always has more voice clips in these games than any other individual fighter, and often rivals the announcer for number of voice clips.
*Because of Kirby's ability to copy his opponents in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' games, Kirby always has more voice clips in these games than any other individual fighter, and often rivals the announcer for number of voice clips.
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